Bharat Ratna for Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Malviya

Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recommended the names to the President.

“The President has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” said a statement from President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday.

Vajpayee will be the first leader from the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to be given the highest civilian award.

Reactions soon poured in.

“His statesmanship transcended politics,” Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen said.

“He has a blemish free record and deserves the Bharat Ratna,” said senior BJP leader LK Advani who was once a cabinet colleague of Vajpayee in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. Advani was a long-time political associate of Vajpayee.

Sources said the announcement came a day before the birthday of the veteran BJP stalwart who turns 90 on Thursday, on the occasion of Christmas Day celebration.

The very day will be celebrated by the central government as ‘good governance day’.

Reports said the decision was taken at a meeting held by PM Modi with top BJP leaders including Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and party national president Amit Shah.

“I welcome the decision of honoring former PM Atal ji and Madan Mohan Malaviya ji with Bharat Ratna,” said Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader KC Tyagi.

The family members of Vajpayee also celebrated the much-awaited announcement at their hometown in Gwalior. “It is a happy day for all of us in the family, the whole country and I would say for the entire the whole world also as he will receive the highest civilian award. Though the decision came late but at least it came, and that too during the regime of our (BJP) government,” said Kanti Mishra, Vajpayee’s niece.

The other posthumous recipient Pandit Bharat Ratna Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861–1946) was an educationist who played a big role in the Indian independence movement and was also known for his espousal of Hindu nationalism (being one of the initial leaders of the far-right party Hindu Mahasabha). Later in life, he was also addressed as 'Mahamana'.

He was the President of the Indian National Congress on two occasions (1909 & 1918) and had founded the iconic t Banaras Hindu University (BHU) at Varanasi in 1916.

He also had founded the English-newspaper, The Leader published from Allahabad in 1909.

The Banaras Hindu University, founded by Malaviya, is located in the constituency of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh that is represented by PM Modi now.

A Bharat Ratna for Malaviya was one of the promises made by Modi himself during his election campaign for the national election this year.

“We welcome this step, Atal ji has done commendable job as PM,” said Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, a Muslim cleric.

Noted choreographer Sonal Manshin also overjoyed with the announcement. She said: “I am really delighted that PM Modi has recommended the name of AB Vajpayee and MM Malaviya for the award. I think the country should rejoice now.”